30 Americans

30 Americans highlights the work of 31 contemporary African American artists in an exhibition organized by and drawn from the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, Florida. Presented in the NCMA’s Meymandi Exhibition Gallery, 30 Americans consists of 70 works of art and includes painting, drawing, photography, video, sculpture, and mixed-media installations. The exhibition features both established and emerging artists and illustrates how a previous generation of African American artists has influenced the current generation. The exhibition focuses on artists who explore similar themes and subject matter in their work, primarily issues of race, gender, identity, history, and popular culture. Artists featured in the exhibition include Robert Colescott, David Hammons, Barkley Hendricks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kerry James Marshall, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Nick Cave, Glenn Ligon, Kehinde Wiley, Mark Bradford, iona rozeal brown, Wangechi Mutu, and many others.

The Rubell Family Collection is an internationally renowned collection of contemporary art that was established by Don and Mera Rubell in 1964. Jason and Jennifer Rubell now assist their parents in building the collection with works that range in date from the 1960s to the present. The Rubell family describes the collection and the impetus for this exhibition as follows:

Since we started collecting in the 1960s, we have always collected African American artists as a part of our broader mission to collect the most interesting art of our time. Approximately three years ago, we found there was a critical mass of emerging African American artists, and began the process of understanding what seemed to be a new movement. When we asked these artists about their influences, we heard some of the same names over and over: Robert Colescott, Renée Green, David Hammons, Barkley Hendricks, Kerry James Marshall, Gary Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, and Carrie Mae Weems.

As the show evolved, we decided to call it 30 Americans. “Americans,” rather than “African Americans” or “Black Americans,” because nationality is a statement of fact, while racial identity is a question each artist answers in his or her own way, or not at all. And the number 30 because we acknowledge, even as it is happening, that this show does not include everyone who could be in it. The truth is, because we do collect right up to the last minute before a show, there are actually 31 artists in 30 Americans. (November 2008)

The exhibition 30 Americans is part of the NCMA’s ongoing commitment to present work by internationally recognized contemporary artists and to highlight the variety and historical depth of art and artists from diverse backgrounds.